Rick Stein

Pete Murt

Head Chef at Rick Stein, Sandbanks

1) When did you join the team?

I joined St Petroc’s Bistro in 2000 as Kitchen Porter and then progressed up to Chef de Partie before moving to The Seafood Restaurant as Sous Chef. I then left the company and moved to London to work as Chef de Partie at 2 Michelin Star Hibiscus with Claude Bosi for 2 years. I came back to Stein’s in 2015 as Head Chef for the opening of Rick Stein Sandbanks

2) What attracted you to this company?

I was attracted to the locally run business. I was also attracted to the interesting and high quality food served across our restaurants

3) What have you enjoyed most about working here so far?

I’ve really enjoyed working with the many different people that I have met along the way. I also love the great produce that we get to work with

4) Why did you chose the hospitality industry?

I think the enjoyment and adrenaline during service got me hooked to the industry

5) What’s the best part of your job?

The best part of my job is when you see people who found it difficult to begin with but have found their feet, developed their skills and now thoroughly enjoy what they do

6) What are the top 3 qualities you need to work here?

– A passion to work and enjoy what you are doing

– You need to be disciplined to be the best you can be at all times

– You need to work as a team, to be able to communicate and help each other as much as possible

7) What’s your favourite item on the menu?

There’s quite a few, but my all-time favourite is turbot hollandaise

8) What training opportunities have you taken part in since joining the team?

I’ve taken part in a lot! I’ve completed my NVQ3, aspiring managers course, fire training, team leadership training, first aid, stages in France, internal ready steady cook and a lot more

9) Are there career progression opportunities available within the business?

Yes, even more than when I first started. Within the company there are lots of different avenues to go down to challenge and develop yourself.

10) What would you recommend to someone who’s looking to join the team?